บท 54: DCM Volume 2 - Prologue
He could hear the crowd cheering from all around him, smell the scent of popcorn and cotton candy in the air, and feel his heart thumping a mile a minute. The adults and teenagers around him seem to loom over him, their height making him seem smaller than the youth actually was. But despite that, the child didn't feel annoyance, or anger at the people making his life difficult.
They were customers after-all, they had come all across multiple cities just to see his parents masterful act. To see humans defy the laws of gravity and soar through the sky, like the dream all people had deep in the core of their being.
The young boy didn't pay attention to the current show, the roars of the lion didn't draw his eyes away from the twin platforms over a building up. Feelings of anxiety and excitement warred inside, the tent's awful ventilation didn't help the growing pool of sweat that streamed off his body. Only further adding to the pungent scent of humanity.
Suddenly, the general cheering of the crowd grew an octave higher as two thick beams of thick showcased the figures standing proud and confidently on those thin pieces of wood. They were beautiful people, wearing even more beautiful clothing.
On one side, a tall and strong man with meticulously combed black hair waved his arms at the crowd. A large smile splitting his handsome face. Despite there being a large distance between the two, the child could swear that one of those blue eyes winked directly at him.
On the other platform, a stunning woman posed like some sort of Greek statue. Her long black hair pooled behind her, plump lips stretched out into a small grin that always caused the crowd to become riled up. She had broad shoulders, only further enhancing her finely developed muscles. He knew he said this before, but she was gorgeous. Beautiful in fact. Her green eyes looked down at him with a warmth so great that it caused his heart to ache for some odd and unknown reason.
They both wore a similar outfit, a green sleeveless leotard with long spandex pants and a stylized yellow 'G' in the middle of their chest. The tight clothing showcased their impressive physiques, physical proof of their dedication they had to their craft.
As the pair stopped waving, they began their show. Gripping the metal bar, that stayed connected to some unseen place far above them, they flew through the air. Like robins. Their movements were effortless, like they were going to sprout wings at any moment.
The woman suddenly let go of her bar at the high of the swing, her body spinning with tightly controlled movements and just as the child's beating heart was ready to burst, she was caught by an equally flying man who then used his legs to latch onto another metal bar that just appeared out of nowhere.
Despite knowing it was just the simple trick of the lights, the child wiped the sweat off his forehead as he watched the pair just barely escape certain death at every turn. He knew it was silly to worry, this wasn't his first time seeing them do this particular routine. By a long shot. In fact, he had seen this routine so many times that he was sure that he could do it in his sleep.
But..why did he feel so uneasy?
As the show went on, that feeling was drowned out with awe as the couple continued to showcase their mastery. And judging from the near rabid crowd, they were enjoying the showing. But as the pair began to flip and spin over the crowd, he knew it was now time for his part.
Taking off the thick covering, he exposed his own green leotard to the world around him. No one seem to have spotted him doing so or if they had, probably just thought it was just some kid playing pretend. If only they knew the truth…
He bunched his muscles with all his might, drawing upon hours of training and time for this one simple jump. In a flurry of energy, the child leapt above the crowd. One foot, two, three. The distance climbed as his vertical leap took him over their heads. A spot light almost blinded him, sending white spots to dance across his vision but that didn't keep his attention for long as he felt a strong force tore him away from the effects of gravity and rocketed him towards the sky.
The force put heavy force on his shoulders and arms, only their combined efforts stopped this act turning into a tragedy of epic proportions.
"You ready kiddo?"
That deep and familiar voice caused him to smile like a young boy, warm blue eyes locked with his holding equal parts concern and pride. The man looked as though he wanted to ruffle his hair but stopped given their current precarious situation.
He only nodded with a wide grin on his face at the man's words, that excitement overshadowing any anxiety he might've felt.
As they flew through the air, their hair whipping around wildly in the breeze, he noticed another figure quickly closing in on them. Her shadow was elegant and slow as it struggled to keep up with the woman's blinding speed.
His heart thumped wildly as they locked gazes and just then, he let go. Tumbling through the air without a harness nor net in sight. Instead of feeling fear or anxiety, he felt...free. Like a bird flapping it's wings, that joy of flight was instilled deep within him from a very early age. He wished that this moment could last forever, but sadly, this was only but a single moment in time. A mere heartbeat.
And suddenly, another pair of calloused hands gripped onto him with just enough force to keep him secured. He could feel her manicured nails lightly dig into his flesh, the sensation wasn't painful or anything, more reassuring above all else.
If the woman looked stunning from so far away, up close that beauty was only further emphasized. She had sharp features, strong cheek bones and green eyes that glimmered like freshly shined emeralds. Her mane of black hair flew behind the woman as they soared together.
They didn't need to speak, her pride for him was evident in those eyes. It was such an intense gaze that he looked away with a flushed face. Despite a voice inside him thrashing wildly within him to keep looking, to take in her features. To remember her face.
The flight didn't last long, his feet landed on the small platform as she flew by. He eyed the flying woman as she circled multiple floating bars with a series of gravity defying flips, a sense of sluggishness filled him. Dread coursed through him as his gaze remained locked on the pair's meeting place, the image slowing to standstill as his mother let go of the bar. His father reaching out for her and just as their fingers were destined to meet, the unthinkable happened.
They fell. Humans that could fly without wings, plummeted from the sky. His voice grew hoarse as he screamed out into the void but no matter how he tried to move his body, it remained frozen. He crashed head first into that invisible barrier, clawed like a wild beast against the chains of restrain that held him down. He couldn't even turn his gaze to the side to avoid watching his parents fall to their deaths.
In one blink, they were falling to the hard packed ground below and in the next, they practically dived towards an ocean of red. The pungent scent of iron hit him, the sensation of sweat sticking to his back, his throat grew parched as dismembered body parts floated just above the surface. Those accusatory heads glared up a him, their mouth curled into a rictus of hate as they spat at words ineffectually against him.
He could see everything, the young, the old, the strong, the weak, men, woman and children. It didn't, they all floated with missing chunks ripped out of them. Sudden movement made his stomach drop out from underneath him, a large shadow swam to the surface. Yellow eyes glowing beneath all that crimson, it's gaze not on him. But on the two fall humans above it.
If he was trying to break free before, the youth was now slamming his entire body against the restraints. But it was like trying to force himself through a brick wall, the barrier remained unyielding against him, despite his efforts he remained locked in place. Forced to see as a massive reptilian monster ripped apart of the surface and leapt into the air.
It was a giant, reminding him more of the comical depictions of marine dinosaurs, a long sinuous body held up by two long arms tipped with razor sharp claws. Dark green scales streaked his blood covered every inch of it's body.
It's massive jaws open wide to snap down on his two descending parents, he could only watch as that maw full of teeth gobbled the pair up with the simplest ease. His voice grew hoarse from the screaming, hot tears dripped down his face, nails digging in deep into his own palms until the sent trickles of blood to add to the macabre ocean beneath him.
He wanted to rip and tear through that monster, to beat it into a bloody pulp to fine that they could make hamburgers out of what was left. To pump the beast so full of holes that it couldn't have the chance to enjoy eating his parents. To slay an abomination of nature itself.
But it seems the reptile had grown content with its recent meal and didn't even throw him a glance before submerging itself back under the surface. That had only further infuriated him to the point of going mad, a metal rob of his own materializing in his hands. The weighty weapon felt familiar to him, from a childhood of effort to a years of combat training.
As the restrictions broke under the sheer weight of his anger, he noticed something beyond that. Something chilling. A near endless amount of bloody hands were gripping at the twin wooden support beams and…began to crawl up it. The ocean rose in tandem at an alarming rate, but he those creepy limbs would stop him from getting his vengeance, they were wrong. So very wrong.
With a roar filled with the broken glass of his heart, the shards running rampant through his body, the teen leapt into the air. His arms raised high, the metal beam pulled back and ready to slam into those glowing yellow eyes beneath the surface. His reflection's face was contorted into a terrifying rictus of hate, a snarl so heavy that it looked completely out of place. Eyes glowing white behind the domino mask that just appeared as he flew.
He could feel it, the power in his muscles were enough to shatter a mountain. Destroy an entire city, to bat away missiles, to tear trees asunder, to leave permanent scars on the world's surface. It would only take one hit, he knew, to take down this reptilian monster once and for all. And he would make the thing regretted ever targeting his parents as mere snacks, even if it meant pulling his explosive strength just to make sure it wasn't turn into paste.
It didn't seem like the monster would just sit back and let him come, instead it launched itself into the air. It's massive bulk breaking through the surface, dark green scales glistening with droplets of crimson, those massive jaws stretched out wide to gobble him alive.
Just as he was prepared to swing the massive metal rod with all his might and turn this beast into hamburger meat, the teen froze in place. Those yellow eyes that seemed so malicious, so hungry, so very much like a wild animal that needed to be put down now seemed human. They sparkled with intelligence and seemed aware, tears streamed down it's face. Sorrow, regret, confusion, and pain were all evident there.
That took all the air of out of his sails and that infinite strength left him with a swoosh of air. Suddenly, the sky spanning maw grew in size to consume the whole planet, making him seem tiny comparison. There was nothing he could as the darkness to swallow him whole.
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"Enough is enough." A stern voice shook the teen out of his slumber, hot sweat causing the sheets to stick uncomfortably to his skin. The world was slightly blurry as he tried and failed to take in the dark room, but that was soon 'fixed' in the next moment as sudden beams of light streamed into the room. Hissing like some kind of old school vampire, the black haired youth ducked under his damp covers with eyed closed tightly.
"Alfred…."
He groaned as the sheets failed to completely block out the sun, his mind shaking off the effects of sleep easily enough. But the cruel man was having none of that, and soon he lost that last barrier between him and sun light.
"Don't 'Alfred' me, Young Master Dick." Alfred sounded like he was scowling," I told you what would happen if you skipped both breakfast and lunch again, didn't I?"
"But I'm not hungry!" Dick tried to protest but the sudden growling from his traitorous stomach made a fool out of his statement. His face warmed at that, but that stubborn streak of his would not allow himself to fall that easily. So he puffed up his chest and refused to give the old man the benefit to seeing him embarrassed.
But instead of the somewhat teasing voice he expected, only a sudden weight on his lap made him pop his eyes open. Before him sat a silver platter filled with a large sandwich with some kind of spicy meat and a saucer of vegetable soup. The aroma it gave off was enough to make him drool visibly and without thinking twice, Dick dug in with gusto.
The explosion of flavor, made all his taste-buds sing in unison. The spice, the meaty tang, the light drizzle of olive oil and the thinly cut lettuce all came together to make him ignore how many crumbs were scattering themselves all across his lap. He gulped loudly at the large glass of water to wash everything down, and even beat his chest a few times to help.
Extremely undignified, he knew. But his growling stomach that continued its rumbling despite gobbling down the meal told him it was needed. He looked up as there wasn't some snide remark ready to strike at him, as if he had done this at the dinning table the old man would be all over him all ready with a series of jibbing comments. But instead, he only saw a neatly folded napkin in his face and a pair of concerned blue eyes.
After taking it, Alfred took that as a sign and sat down in a nearby chair.
"Thank you." Dick said he wiped his mouth to at-least contain a few strands of his dignity," I guess I was more hungry than I thought."
"I'll have another serving prepared downstairs for you." The old man said simply, the meaning clear in his words.
He would have to leave his room.
The act of such wasn't a daunting tasking itself, but what it intold certainly was. He would have to take a bath, brush his teeth, comb his wild bird-nest he called hair and put on some freshly pressed clothes before stepping foot outside. Such a routine would take about half an hour.
'A lot of work just for a sandwich…' He thought ruefully, scooping a mouthful of hot soup in his mouth. While the meal was delicious, there was no way he was going to leave his room anytime soon. It would only mean he would have to face his most recent failures, to have that forced down his gullet as news reporters repeated the same story again and again.
"Did I ever tell you of my first deployment?"
Alfred suddenly said, forcing Dick's ears to perk up. This was certainly a first. Despite knowing the old man before him was apart of the British Forces at one time, he had always been extremely cagey of the details. Something that had annoyed the boy at first, but after spending a few years as Robin, he felt like he got the reason why.
Especially now.
"Well…" The old man didn't look at him, those blue eyes gazing off into the distance," If you didn't know, I was apart of the British SAS. I can't tell you everything but I can tell you of my first deployment."
"I've always been proud of my country, but as a youth I was quite the patriot. I honestly believed there was nothing England could do was ever wrong or unjust. After all, we were a nation that had been blessed by God...Don't give me that look, I was barely older than you are now and we didn't have the internet."
Dick quickly fixed his face into a neutral expression, he didn't want to scare the man off from opening up.
"As I was saying," Alfred continued," At first, I was fine with being apart of the infantry. In fact, it was something I had looked forward to. Directly engaging with the enemy was what I truly desired. To look them in the eye as they saw the folly of going against Great Britain. Look back on that youthful, more innocent version of myself I want nothing more than to give him a few hard welts to get his head back on straight."
"I was excited during our first deployment, giddy in fact. I had ignored all the warning the older soldiers gave and instead deemed them all cowards….That youthful ignorance didn't last long. When we first engaged with the enemy, I didn't hesitate to charge into battle without rime or reason. I felt like I needed to feel that rush of taking someones life…"
"I had cornered one of them, and shot them...I can still hear it to this day… It was too high pitch, lacking that steady timber that alluded to adulthood….Yes Young Master Dick, it was a child. A kid barely old enough to call himself a teen...and I had just snuffed out all that potential so callously…"
"...That was my last deployment as an infantryman. And almost the Forces all together. I had been disillusioned to the idea of my country being blessed by God, that we were the just force in that war. I was ready to just quit it all and retire early back in England, disgraced or not I was far beyond caring. But then, I passed one of the injury tents and something pulled me in there."
"It was bad. Beyond anything I've ever seen. Just looking at the injured was enough to only further fuel my desire to leave but one of the patients had called out to me. I wasn't too well versed in medicine back then, but even I could tell he wasn't going to make it. I won't go into gory details. He told me of his life, his hopes and dreams, his fiancee back home that was waiting for him and even gave me a letter he wanted me to deliver. I sat besides his bed side as his slipped away until later at night when he closed his eyes for the last time."
"...What did you do next?"
Dick couldn't help but ask, the story the butler told showed him a picture that didn't match this elegant man.
"I took a leave of course." He said bluntly," I requested three to six months and left the Forces. I delivered the letter and found his fiancee working at a clinic...she was heartbroken by the letter.. I don't know what was written..but it did make her bawl her eyes out and she became unable to take care of herself in her grief. The poor woman didn't have anyone else so I stayed with her and tried to care for her the best I could. I even worked at the clinic despite having no experience or knowledge for my entire leave, after my time was up I hired a nurse to take care of the distraught woman and went back. But this time, I applied to be trained as a medic...There's more to the story of course, but it's just history now. I don't wish to boor you too much, Young Master Dick."
"No Alfred…" Dick shook his head," It wasn't boring to me…"
"Excellent," The old man stood up from his chair and took the now empty plate," If you are still hungry, there will be another serving down stairs."
And with that, the butler marched out of the room on much too quite steps. His back straight and gate even as he opened the door. Dick felt a rise of something deep in his chest as he looked at the man's stiff posture. That conversation hadn't been easy, he had probably let out a secret he expected to take with him to the grave. To dig up so many dark memories for his sake, couldn't have been healthy for the geezer's mental health.
"And Alfred?"
"Yes?"
The butler paused just as the door was getting ready to click close a single blue eyes peeking out from the small slit, Dick swung his feet onto the floor as he took in the rolling hills and bright sun beating down on the city below.
"Thank you."
The words came from the very bottom of his heart, the spectrum of emotions he was feeling present. Gratitude for the meal, for taking care of him for so long, for raising him to the best of his abilities, to providing him warmth when the child version of him needed it most...But for most of all, for not giving up on him. For not deeming him a lost cost and leaving him to rot in a dark room somewhere.
Those blue orbs twinkled slightly, their dull hue taking on a bit more light as Alfred replied," Anytime Young Master Dick."
(A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you are guys are excited for DCM Volume 2! I know I sure am! We've gotten past the introductory stages of this novel so now I can really dig into mysteries without having to hold back! What can you expect from this volume? Frustration, dread, anger, despair awe, disgust, bittersweet endings and much much more! What can you not expect? Romance, Power ups that disrupts the balance, Excessive fight scenes and Albert not being a dumbass at times! At first, I was going to have you wait until I have a bigger stock pile of chapters but I tossed that idea out the window. Instead I'm only a few chapters ahead, meaning any advice or critiques will have a significant on the story going forward! I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for supporting this passion project of mine! Oh, if this chapter didn't tell you then I will say it now, Dick will be a significant character in this volume. Whether for good or bad, I shan't tell you XD! And one more thing, I plan on this volume to be quite the bit longer than volume 1 so buckle in!)
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